2G and 3G

2G (or 2-G) is short for second-generation wireless telephone technology.

Second generation 2G cellular telecom networks were commercially launched on
the GSM standard in Finland by Radiolinja[1] (now part of Elisa Oyj) in 1991.
Three primary benefits of 2G networks over their predecessors were that phone
conversations were digitally encrypted; 2G systems were significantly more
efficient on the spectrum allowing for far greater mobile phone penetration levels;
and 2G introduced data services for mobile, starting with SMS text messages.

After 2G was launched, the previous mobile telephone systems were

retrospectively dubbed 1G. While radio signals on 1G networks are analog, radio
signals on 2G networks are digital. Both systems use digital signaling to connect
the radio towers (which listen to the handsets) to the rest of the telephone
system.

2G has been superseded by newer technologies such as 2.5G, 2.75G, 3G, and
4G; however, 2G networks are still used in many parts of the world.

Capacities, advantages, and disadvantages

Capacity

Using digital signals between the handsets and the towers increases system
capacity in two key ways:

• Digital voice data can be compressed and multiplexed much more

effectively than analog voice encodings through the use of various codecs,
allowing more calls to be packed into the same amount of radio
bandwidth.
• The digital systems were designed to emit less radio power from the
handsets. This meant that cells could be smaller, so more cells could be
placed in the same amount of space. This was also made possible by cell
towers and related equipment getting less expensive.

Advantages

• The lower power emissions helped address health concerns.

• Going all-digital allowed for the introduction of digital data services, such
as SMS and email.
• Greatly reduced fraud. With analog systems it was possible to have two or
more "cloned" handsets that had the same phone number.
• Enhanced privacy. A key digital advantage not often mentioned is that
digital cellular calls are much harder to eavesdrop on by use of radio
 scanners. While the security algorithms used have proved not to be as
secure as initially advertised, 2G phones are immensely more private than
1G phone, which have no protection against eavesdropping.

Disadvantages

• In less populous areas, the weaker digital signal may not be sufficient to
reach a cell tower. This tends to be a particular problem on 2G systems
deployed on higher frequencies, but is mostly not a problem on 2G
systems deployed on lower frequencies. National regulations differ greatly
among countries which dictate where 2G can be deployed.
• Analog has a smooth decay curve, digital a jagged steppy one. This can
be both an advantage and a disadvantage. Under good conditions, digital
will sound better. Under slightly worse conditions, analog will experience
static, while digital has occasional dropouts. As conditions worsen,
though, digital will start to completely fail, by dropping calls or being
unintelligible, while analog slowly gets worse, generally holding a call
longer and allowing at least a few words to get through.
• While digital calls tend to be free of static and background noise, the lossy
compression used by the codecs takes a toll; the range of sound that they
convey is reduced. You'll hear less of the tonality of someone's voice
talking on a digital cellphone, but you will hear it more clearly.
International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT — 2000), better known
as 3G or 3rd Generation, is a generation of standards for mobile phones and
mobile telecommunications services fulfilling specifications by the International
Telecommunication Union.[1] Application services include wide-area wireless
voice telephone, mobile Internet access, video calls and mobile TV, all in a
mobile environment. Compared to the older 2G and 2.5G standards, a 3G
system must provide peak data rates of at least 200 kbit/s according to the IMT-
2000 specification. Recent 3G releases, often denoted 3.5G and 3.75G, also
provide mobile broadband access of several Mbit/s to laptop computers and
smartphones.

The following standards are typically branded 3G:

• the UMTS system, first offered in 2001, standardized by 3GPP, used

primarily in Europe, Japan, China (however with a different radio interface)
and other regions predominated by GSM 2G system infrastructure. The
cell phones are typically UMTS and GSM hybrids. Several radio interfaces
are offered, sharing the same infrastructure:
o The original and most widespread radio interface is called W-
CDMA.
o The TD-SCDMA radio interface, was commercialised in 2009 and is
only offered in China.
o The latest UMTS release, HSPA+, can provide peak data rates up
to 56 Mbit/s in the downlink in theory (28 Mbit/s in existing services)
and 22 Mbit/s in the uplink.

• the CDMA2000 system, first offered in 2002, standardized by 3GPP2,

used especially in North America and South Korea, sharing infrastructure
with the IS-95 2G standard. The cell phones are typically CDMA2000 and
IS-95 hybrids. The latest release EVDO Rev B offers peak rates of 14.7
Mbit/s downstreams.

The above systems and radio interfaces are based on kindred spread spectrum
radio transmission technology. While the GSM EDGE standard ("2.9G"), DECT
cordless phones and Mobile WiMAX standards formally also fulfill the IMT-2000
requirements and are approved as 3G standards by ITU, these are typically not
branded 3G, and are based on completely different technologies.

A new generation of cellular standards has appeared approximately every tenth

year since 1G systems were introduced in 1981/1982. Each generation is
characterized by new frequency bands, higher data rates and non backwards
compatible transmission technology. The first release of the 3GPP Long Term
Evolution (LTE) standard does not completely fulfill the ITU 4G requirements
called IMT-Advanced. First release LTE is not backwards compatible with 3G,
but is a pre-4G or 3.9G technology, however sometimes branded "4G" by the
service providers. WiMAX is another technology verging on or marketed as 4G.

History

The first pre-commercial 3G network was best launched by NTT DoCoMo

in Japan branded FOMA, in May 2001 on a pre-release of W-CDMA technology.
[7]
The first commercial launch of 3G was also by NTT DoCoMo in Japan on 1
October 2001, although it was initially somewhat limited in scope;[8][9] broader
availability was delayed by apparent concerns over reliability.[10] The second
network to go commercially live was by SK Telecom in South Korea on the 1xEV-
DO technology in January 2002. By May 2002 the second South Korean 3G
network was by KT on EV-DO and thus the Koreans were the first to see
competition among 3G operators.

The first European pre-commercial network was at the Isle of Man by

Manx Telecom, the operator then owned by British Telecom, and the first
commercial network in Europe was opened for business by Telenor in December
2001 with no commercial handsets and thus no paying customers. These were
both on the W-CDMA technology.

The first commercial United States 3G network was by Monet Mobile

Networks, on CDMA2000 1x EV-DO technology, but this network provider later
shut down operations. The second 3G network operator in the USA was Verizon
Wireless in October 2003 also on CDMA2000 1x EV-DO. AT&T Mobility is also a
true 3G network, having completed its upgrade of the 3G network to HSUPA.

The first pre-commercial demonstration network in the southern

hemisphere was built in Adelaide, South Australia by m.Net Corporation in
February 2002 using UMTS on 2100 MHz. This was a demonstration network for
the 2002 IT World Congress. The first commercial 3G network was launched by
Hutchison Telecommunications branded as Three in March 2003.

“Emtel Launched the first 3G network in Africa”

By June 2007, the 200 millionth 3G subscriber had been connected. Out
of 3 billion mobile phone subscriptions worldwide this is only 6.7%. In the
countries where 3G was launched first – Japan and South Korea – 3G
penetration is over 70%.[11] In Europe the leading country is Italy with a third of its
subscribers migrated to 3G. Other leading countries by 3G migration include UK,
Austria, Australia and Singapore at the 20% migration level. A confusing statistic
is counting CDMA2000 1x RTT customers as if they were 3G customers. If using
this definition, then the total 3G subscriber base would be 475 million at June
2007 and 15.8% of all subscribers worldwide
Adoption

In December 2007, 190 3G networks were operating in 40 countries and 154

HSDPA networks were operating in 71 countries, according to the Global Mobile
Suppliers Association (GSA). In Asia, Europe, Canada and the USA,
telecommunication companies use W-CDMA technology with the support of
around 100 terminal designs to operate 3G mobile networks.

Roll-out of 3G networks was delayed in some countries by the enormous costs of

additional spectrum licensing fees. (See Telecoms crash.) In many countries, 3G
networks do not use the same radio frequencies as 2G, so mobile operators
must build entirely new networks and license entirely new frequencies; an
exception is the United States where carriers operate 3G service in the same
frequencies as other services. The license fees in some European countries
were particularly high, bolstered by government auctions of a limited number of
licenses and sealed bid auctions, and initial excitement over 3G's potential. Other
delays were due to the expenses of upgrading equipment for the new systems

India

In 2008, India entered the 3G arena with the launch of 3G enabled Mobile and
Data services by Government owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (BSNL). Later,
MTNL launched 3G in Delhi and Mumbai. Nationwide auction of 3G wireless
spectrum was announced in April 2010.

The first Private-sector service provider that launched 3G services is Tata

Docomo, on November 5, 2010. And the second is by Reliance Communications,
December 13, 2010. Bharti Airtel launched their 3G services on 24 January,
2011 in Bangalore. Other providers like Vodafone, Idea and Aircel are expected
to launch 3G services by Q1 2011.

Features

Data rates

ITU has not provided a clear definition of the data rate users can expect from 3G
equipment or providers. Thus users sold 3G service may not be able to point to a
standard and say that the rates it specifies are not being met. While stating in
commentary that "it is expected that IMT-2000 will provide higher transmission
rates: a minimum data rate of 2 Mbit/s for stationary or walking users, and 384
kbit/s in a moving vehicle,"[18] the ITU does not actually clearly specify minimum
or average rates or what modes of the interfaces qualify as 3G, so various rates
are sold as 3G intended to meet customers expectations of broadband data.
Security

3G networks offer greater security than their 2G predecessors. By allowing the

UE (User Equipment) to authenticate the network it is attaching to, the user can
be sure the network is the intended one and not an impersonator. 3G networks
use the KASUMI block crypto instead of the older A5/1 stream cipher. However,
a number of serious weaknesses in the KASUMI cipher have been identified.[19]

In addition to the 3G network infrastructure security, end-to-end security is

offered when application frameworks such as IMS are accessed, although this is
not strictly a 3G property.

Applications

The bandwidth and location information available to 3G devices gives rise to

applications not previously available to mobile phone users. Some of the
applications are:

• Mobile TV – a provider redirects a TV channel directly to the subscriber's

phone where it can be watched.
• Video on demand – a provider sends a movie to the subscriber's phone.
• Video conferencing – subscribers can see as well as talk to each other.
• Tele-medicine – a medical provider monitors or provides advice to the
potentially isolated subscriber.
• Location-based services – a provider sends localized weather or traffic
conditions to the phone, or the phone allows the subscriber to find nearby
businesses or friends.